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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Jail Duck speeding story keeps getting better

It turns out that the car that the University of Oregon football player was driving 118 miles an hour on a suspended license at 4:30 the other morning was a rented car. It was rented by Hertz to a University of Oregon employee, who says she then sub-rented it to the player, Cliff Harris, for cash.

Really? Obviously that was a breach of her rental contract with Hertz, who would tend to look askance at a suspended driver behind the wheel at any speed.

But more importantly, she says the deal didn't violate NCAA rules, because Harris and a friend really did pay her for the sub-rental. She deposited $300 cash in her bank account last week, and that's whom it was from and what it was about. Uh huh.

I'd say enough is enough. The NCAA needs to step in and impose sanctions. The Ducks' national championship should be revoked immediately.

The Ducks should have skipped the Rose Bowl 2 years ago and taken on Ohio State in a street race instead. Sure, their quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, had 8 different cars in 3 years of college, but if we have a kid who can go 118 in a Hertz rental, I say we win.

There's little doubt this is a "special benefit" for the athlete. The UO doesn't rent cars to regular students and Hertz doesn't rent cars to people with suspended licenses. But the UO will rent cars from Hertz for athletes with suspended licenses.

One other thing - there is no NCAA FBS ("Football Bowl Series" - formerly NCAA Division 1) National Championship. The FBS teams can compete in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) but the NCAA does not award a National Championship to the winner of the BCS. Auburn beat the Ducks to win the BCS championship. Yes, it is an interesting distinction and, yes, it's all about $.

I found the "sub rental" remarks very funny. Does the female idiot that originally rented this vehicle realize that she violated the terms of her rental contract? And that it's unlikely any auto rental firm will ever rent to her again?

With the possible exception of the continuing media yammering about "steriod use" there is no more boring story in sports than NCAA "violations". The rules are so arcane and idiotic that only the media and the haters really give a damn. Pryer sold memorabilia (yawn), Cam's Dad pimped him out to the best paying school (double yawn) and a Duck got a speeding ticket in a rental car with a suspended license (triple yawn). Of course there is the hard hitting story about the Boise State girls tennis player getting a free cheeseburger (actual coma on this one).I know it is fun to hate, I know it is fun to feel superior and flex the moral outrage muscle but really? Lets save some outrage for a system that exploits college atheletes to make big bucks and then talks all rightous about the "mission" of the university.

You know what would be good? If the outrageously highly paid Oregon athletic director and head coach got nicked every time one of their student-athletes pulled a stunt like this. Kelly is working on a six-year, $20.5 million contract. The AD, Mullens, has a base salary of $450,000, with all kinds of perks and incentives, including an extra $50,000 every time the Ducks get invited to a bowl game. How about -$10,000 every time a Duck gets handcuffed and put into the backseat of a police car? It can go into a scholarship fund for student-students.

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 156
At this date last year: 225
Total run in 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269